SaunaScape

Steam of Life, the award-winning Finnish documentary of men in the sauna is set to air in the USA next week on the PBS show POV. The film, called Miesten vuoro in Finnish, is a series of beautifully shot interviews with Finnish men who bare themselves and their souls to the camera. It has won several awards for its beautiful cinematography and heartfelt storytelling.

The film is scheduled to air at 10pm on Tuesday August 2, but you should check your local listings. If your local PBS channel chooses not to show it, or you aren’t in an area where you can get PBS, the film will be available to watch on the POV website from August 3 through November 1, 2011.

Apress release on the POV website describes the film:

Among the interesting things we learn from Steam of Life is that portable saunas can appear anywhere in Finland — in trailers, tepees, cars, even phone booths — at a moment’s notice. We also learn that Finnish men of all shapes, sizes and ages are not the least bit self-conscious about being nude, either in front of each other or in front of the filmmakers’ cameras (or behind the cameras — the crew was naked, too). We also learn that Finnish men, despite their reputation for not being communicative, are almost unstoppable once they get talking in their quiet way about their lives. They speak from a deep emotional need to share their experiences, and from a special place, the sauna, where they shed social inhibitions and distinctions along with their clothes.

To film the scenes in the sauna, the crew used 16mm film cameras. They had to slowly acclimate the cameras to the sauna temperatures of up to 200F (93C)  to ensure they worked properly.

POV has posted a trailer on YouTube (embedded above) where some of the nudity has been blurred out. As a longtime fan of POV, my guess is they will offer two versions of the film to the individual PBS stations: A censored one and an uncensored one. They will choose which version to air. The film’s runtime has also been cut from 86 to 60 minutes to fit into the hour-long TV slots in the USA.

POV, now in its 24th season on PBS, features the works of today’s best independent documentary filmmakers.

If you want more information about Steam of Life on POV, you can visit the POV website, the Steam of Life Facebook page, or follow #steamoflife or @povdocs on Twitter.

Update: The full video is available to watch on the PBS website.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm3WXCaaCxQ[/youtube]Steam of Life, the award-winning Finnish documentary of men in the sauna is set to air in the USA next week on the PBS show POV. The film, called Miesten vuoro in Finnish, is a series of beautifully shot interviews with Finnish men who bare themselves and their souls to the camera. It has won several awards for its beautiful cinematography and heartfelt storytelling. The film is scheduled to air at 10pm on Tuesday August 2, but you should check your local listings. If your local PBS channel chooses not to show it, or you aren't in an area where you can get PBS, the film will be available to watch on the POV website from August 3 through November 1, 2011. Apress release on the POV website describes the film: Among the interesting things we learn from Steam of Life is that portable saunas can appear anywhere in Finland — in trailers, tepees, cars, even phone booths — at a moment’s notice. We also learn that Finnish men of all shapes, sizes and ages are not the least bit self-conscious about being nude, either in front of each other or in front of the filmmakers’ cameras (or behind the cameras — the crew was naked, too). We also learn that Finnish men, despite their reputation for not being communicative, are almost unstoppable once they get talking in their quiet way about their lives. They speak from a deep emotional need to share their experiences, and from a special place, the sauna, where they shed social inhibitions and distinctions along with their clothes. To film the scenes in the sauna, the crew used 16mm film cameras. They had to slowly acclimate the cameras to the sauna temperatures of up to 200F (93C)  to ensure they worked properly. POV has posted a trailer on YouTube (embedded above) where some of the nudity has been blurred out. As a longtime fan of POV, my guess is they will offer two versions of the film to the individual PBS stations: A censored one and an uncensored one. They will choose which version to air. The film's runtime has also been cut from 86 to 60 minutes to fit into the hour-long TV slots in the USA. POV, now in its 24th season on PBS, features the works of today's best independent documentary filmmakers. If you want more information about Steam of Life on POV, you can visit the POV website, the Steam of Life Facebook page, or follow #steamoflife or @povdocs on Twitter. Update: The full video is available to watch on the PBS website.    

 The US Department of Agriculture – the government agency charged with maintaining the safety of all foods in the USA – has just released a new public service announcement showing the proper way to use a sauna:

• A young woman is clad only in a towel,
• She is sitting on the top bench, to get the best effect from the sauna,
• She makes the sauna feel hotter by sprinkling a ladle of water onto the rocks,
• The stove has plenty of rocks,
• The temperature is shown at 90°F, but we’ll assume that the thermometer is labeled wrong, and it’s really 90°C (194°F), which is a very respectable temperature for a sauna, and
• A pig is singing relaxing sounds to the woman.

Wait, what is that pig doing in the sauna?

This is a public service campaign by the USDA, but its goal is not to encourage sauna use with your livestock, but to help eliminate food poisoning by reminding US home cooks to check the temperature of their foods with a thermometer before serving them.

Of course, the pig is an interesting choice for this ad, since the USDA just lowered their recommended safe temperature for cooking pork from 160to 145°F (71 to 63°C).

It is also interesting since the displayed temperature in the sauna, while much too low for a real sauna, is right in the middle of the “danger zone” for safely storing foods.

Personally, we’ll keep our pig out of the sauna, and put it into a more appropriate heat therapy device.

via The Atlantic.

[embed]http://youtu.be/Sb29Zexh_Vo[/embed] The US Department of Agriculture – the government agency charged with maintaining the safety of all foods in the USA – has just released a new public service announcement showing the proper way to use a sauna: A young woman is clad only in a towel, She is sitting on the top bench, to get the best effect from the sauna, She makes the sauna feel hotter by sprinkling a ladle of water onto the rocks, The stove has plenty of rocks, The temperature is shown at 90°F, but we'll assume that the thermometer is labeled wrong, and it's really 90°C (194°F), which is a very respectable temperature for a sauna, and A pig is singing relaxing sounds to the woman. Wait, what is that pig doing in the sauna? This is a public service campaign by the USDA, but its goal is not to encourage sauna use with your livestock, but to help eliminate food poisoning by reminding US home cooks to check the temperature of their foods with a thermometer before serving them. Of course, the pig is an interesting choice for this ad, since the USDA just lowered their recommended safe temperature for cooking pork from 160to 145°F (71 to 63°C). It is also interesting since the displayed temperature in the sauna, while much too low for a real sauna, is right in the middle of the "danger zone" for safely storing foods. Personally, we'll keep our pig out of the sauna, and put it into a more appropriate heat therapy device. via The Atlantic.

The single-gender bathing area at Spa Castle. Soaking pools are in the foreground. Showers, sauna, steam room, and cold pools are in the background (left-right)

For those looking to experience an authentic Korean JimJilBang experience without the jet lag, if you live in the New York City area, the New York Spa Castle awaits, just over the Whitestone bridge in the College Point neighborhood of Queens.

The New York Spa Castle, formerly known as InSpaWorld, from the outside its 5-story structure looks like just another big-box store. Once you enter, you find 100,000 square feet / 9,200 m² of relaxation.

There are plenty of public transportation options to get to the Spa Castle. If you’ve driven your own car, they offer complimentary valet parking. This is a good thing, since the surrounding streets are crowded and very narrow.

Entering on the lowest level is the reception area. Here you pay your entry fee and in exchange you are given a numbered plastic bracelet that is your key and charge card: Hold up to one of the 3 lockers in the facility with a matching number and the door will pop open. Allow a cashier to swipe it and it will add the charge to your bill when you exit. There are terminals throughout the facility where you can check the balance on your card.

The front desk staff (at least on the day I visited) didn’t admit to speaking much more English than “Your money please” and “Thank you.” After I was handed my bracelet, I was pointed to the appropriate locker room: To the left for men and to the right for women.

Single-gender areas:

Just inside of the locker room is a shoe storage area. One of these small lockers is the first one your key opens. True to any Korean business, the floor changes from standard industrial tile to a wood-grained vinyl. Before stepping on the vinyl floor, you are to remove your shoes. Helpful attendants were there to chastise me and the three people behind me as we went to step on the pristine vinyl floor.

Inside of the locker room, there is a service desk selling things like scrub cloths and fresh underwear, grooming areas with all types of toiletries, lounge areas with couches, and entries to the single-gender sleeping area and bath area and stairs to the coed areas. A helpful thing to note if you are planning to enjoy the coed areas first: You must do so in a uniform. These are stored by the entrance to the bath area.

I visited the bath area first. It is to be enjoyed exclusively in the nude. Watching the other patrons, the appropriate ettiquitte, at least on the men’s side, was to strip down at you locker, and walk naked across the room. Towels, etc. are provided only at the entrance to the bath area.

Inside the baths are steam room, a dry sauna, a whole bunch of pools and banks of showers. You are expected to shower upon entering, and rinse yourself after using the sweat baths and before entering any pools.  The pools range from cold to exceedingly hot. The large pools in the back have a battery of massage jets inside.

The single-gender areas of Spa Castle also have a relaxation lounge with couches for socializing, a sleeping lounge, and an area to get the famous korean body scrub.

The Coed Areas:

Once you have bathed your fill, don one of the uniforms, and head upstairs. There is a rack of them just

Rooftop pools at Spa Castle. Pools are open year 'round.

outside of the bath area. If you’re modest, grab your uniform before you undress.

The first floor is an expansive open area. At one end are the coed dry saunas. All must be used in your uniform, and they are hot. Save these until just before you are ready to head back down to the single-gender areas, as your uniform will be drenched with sweat after visiting these. A visit to the ice room helps, but not enough.

Also on this level is the food court, salon and massage area. There are tables and chairs throughout for dining, relaxing or just socializing.

Lounge area on the mezzanine level of the Spa Castle

On your way to the second floor is the mezzanine. In it are rooms full of recliners, some with personal TVs in the armrest. While lounging here you can get a foot massage, or have an attendant bring you a cold drink at your chair. This is the life.

The second floor is the pool floor: The variety of pools here rivals most water parks, and includes massaging pools, kiddie pools, and even an aqua bar for enjoying (non-alcoholic) beverages while sitting in the worm water. Some of the pools are outside, some inside. If you plan to use these pools, bathing suits and pool towels are not provided, but are available for rent. This floor also has the third locker that your key will open for storing your personal effects while in the pool. These lockers are in single-gender locker rooms, so if you don’t want to return downstairs with your wet bathing suit under your uniform, you can change out of it here.

The top floor has a full-service Korean restaurant, and a fitness center. A day pass to the fitness center can be purchased for an additional fee. This is new since our visit, so we’re not sure how you get your shoes up here. We assume you carry them.

When you have had your fill of the spa castle, you return to the lower level, and change back into your street clothes. A counter in the locker room has every imaginable toiletry, combsm brushes, and hair dryers available for use. Heck, if you want to clip your toenails, there are trays with nail clippers attached for just this purpose (eww). When dressed, claim your shoes, and proceed to the front desk to return your bracelet. If you’ve made any charges in the Spa Castle, they’ll be due here.

The trip to Queens is a little long for us. We’re anxiously awaiting the opening of the Pocono resort they show on their website.

Here are some other New York metro saunas from our database:

 

Athena Spa NY

32 East 31 Street
New York, NY

 

Aura Wellness Spa

49 West 33rd Street
New York, NY

 

Bear and Birch

6 Paragon Way
West Freehold, NJ

 

Body by Brooklyn

275 Park Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

 

BRC Sauna & Spa / Delphi Day Spa

24-20 Broadway
Fair Lawn, NJ

 

Brooklyn Banya

602 Coney Island Ave.
Brooklyn, NY

 

Euphora Spa

3815 Northern Blvd.
Astoria, NY

 

Forest Hills Spa

5921 Calloway Street
Queens, NY

 

Fountain of Youth Health Spa

3202 Linden Place
Flushing, NY

 

Great Jones Spa

29 Great Jones Street
New York, NY

 

International Steam Baths

163 Hope Avenue
Passaic, NJ

 

Juvenex Spa

25 West 32nd Street 5th Floor
New York, NY

 

King Sauna New Jersey

321 Commercial Ave
Palisades Park, NJ

 

Madison Towers Health Spa

22 E. 38th St. 3rd Floor
New York, NY

 

Mermaid Spa

3701-3709 Mermaid Ave
Brooklyn, NY

[caption id="attachment_240" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The single-gender bathing area at Spa Castle. Soaking pools are in the foreground. Showers, sauna, steam room, and cold pools are in the background (left-right)"][/caption] For those looking to experience an authentic Korean JimJilBang experience without the jet lag, if you live in the New York City area, the New York Spa Castle awaits, just over the Whitestone bridge in the College Point neighborhood of Queens. The New York Spa Castle, formerly known as InSpaWorld, from the outside its 5-story structure looks like just another big-box store. Once you enter, you find 100,000 square feet / 9,200 m² of relaxation. There are plenty of public transportation options to get to the Spa Castle. If you've driven your own car, they offer complimentary valet parking. This is a good thing, since the surrounding streets are crowded and very narrow. Entering on the lowest level is the reception area. Here you pay your entry fee and in exchange you are given a numbered plastic bracelet that is your key and charge card: Hold up to one of the 3 lockers in the facility with a matching number and the door will pop open. Allow a cashier to swipe it and it will add the charge to your bill when you exit. There are terminals throughout the facility where you can check the balance on your card. The front desk staff (at least on the day I visited) didn't admit to speaking much more English than "Your money please" and "Thank you." After I was handed my bracelet, I was pointed to the appropriate locker room: To the left for men and to the right for women. Single-gender areas: Just inside of the locker room is a shoe storage area. One of these small lockers is the first one your key opens. True to any Korean business, the floor changes from standard industrial tile to a wood-grained vinyl. Before stepping on the vinyl floor, you are to remove your shoes. Helpful attendants were there to chastise me and the three people behind me as we went to step on the pristine vinyl floor. Inside of the locker room, there is a service desk selling things like scrub cloths and fresh underwear, grooming areas with all types of toiletries, lounge areas with couches, and entries to the single-gender sleeping area and bath area and stairs to the coed areas. A helpful thing to note if you are planning to enjoy the coed areas first: You must do so in a uniform. These are stored by the entrance to the bath area. I visited the bath area first. It is to be enjoyed exclusively in the nude. Watching the other patrons, the appropriate ettiquitte, at least on the men's side, was to strip down at you locker, and walk naked across the room. Towels, etc. are provided only at the entrance to the bath area. Inside the baths are steam room, a dry sauna, a whole bunch of pools and banks of showers. You are expected to shower upon entering, and rinse yourself after using the sweat baths and before entering any pools.  The pools range from cold to exceedingly hot. The large pools in the back have a battery of massage jets inside. The single-gender areas of Spa Castle also have a relaxation lounge with couches for socializing, a sleeping lounge, and an area to get the famous korean body scrub. The Coed Areas: Once you have bathed your fill, don one of the uniforms, and head upstairs. There is a rack of them just [caption id="attachment_242" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Rooftop pools at Spa Castle. Pools are open year 'round."][/caption] outside of the bath area. If you're modest, grab your uniform before you undress. The first floor is an expansive open area. At one end are the coed dry saunas. All must be used in your uniform, and they are hot. Save these until just before you are ready to head back down to the single-gender areas, as your uniform will be drenched with sweat after visiting these. A visit to the ice room helps, but not enough. Also on this level is the food court, salon and massage area. There are tables and chairs throughout for dining, relaxing or just socializing. [caption id="attachment_241" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Lounge area on the mezzanine level of the Spa Castle"][/caption] On your way to the second floor is the mezzanine. In it are rooms full of recliners, some with personal TVs in the armrest. While lounging here you can get a foot massage, or have an attendant bring you a cold drink at your chair. This is the life. The second floor is the pool floor: The variety of pools here rivals most water parks, and includes massaging pools, kiddie pools, and even an aqua bar for enjoying (non-alcoholic) beverages while sitting in the worm water. Some of the pools are outside, some inside. If you plan to use these pools, bathing suits and pool towels are not provided, but are available for rent. This floor also has the third locker that your key will open for storing your personal effects while in the pool. These lockers are in single-gender locker rooms, so if you don't want to return downstairs with your wet bathing suit under your uniform, you can change out of it here. The top floor has a full-service Korean restaurant, and a fitness center. A day pass to the fitness center can be purchased for an additional fee. This is new since our visit, so we're not sure how you get your shoes up here. We assume you carry them. When you have had your fill of the spa castle, you return to the lower level, and change back into your street clothes. A counter in the locker room has every imaginable toiletry, combsm brushes, and hair dryers available for use. Heck, if you want to clip your toenails, there are trays with nail clippers attached for just this purpose (eww). When dressed, claim your shoes, and proceed to the front desk to return your bracelet. If you've made any charges in the Spa Castle, they'll be due here. The trip to Queens is a little long for us. We're anxiously awaiting the opening of the Pocono resort they show on their website. Here are some other New York metro saunas from our database: [pods name="sauna_baths" order="t.name ASC" limit="15" where="metro_area.id=1" template="sauna_list_div"]